4 ms·

I really love the aesthetic of all the demo pieces for OpenStructures (mentioned in the article). Unfortunately it seems it didn't really catch on, and is not a

I really love the aesthetic of all the demo pieces for OpenStructures (mentioned in the article). Unfortunately it seems it didn't really catch on, and is not an active project. Also, I've found that many standard metric parts that could fit in the system are hard to get or expensive here in the US, alas.

TOGoS 8y ago
In the US it probably makes more sense to go with an inch-based standard, since it's easier to find materials in those sizes. I've been making up my own 'standard' for rack-mount electronics with an eye towards making it work nicely with as many other defacto standards as possible (19" racks, standard lumber sizes, pegboard, unistrut, erector sets): http://www.nuke24.net/docs/2018/TOGRack.html http://www.nuke24.net/docs/2018/TOGRack.html
- Qwertie 8y ago
  You can just buy the closest match and cut off a bit of the end. In the end it's much better for everyone to standardize on the superior units
  - TOGoS 8y ago
    Indeed. Which is why I standardized on inches, which match the hardware at Home Depot and whose rulers make it easy to divide by powers of 2. :P
    - TOGoS 8y ago
      Aw shucks. Downvoted for disagreeing with the HN groupthink.
      - TOGoS 8y ago
        First rule of HN groupthink is don't acknowledge HN groupthink. Just downvote anyone who's different.
Animats 8y ago
This is the curse of Home Depot, which doesn't stock much, if any, metric. I was recently in a Home Depot where an Asian woman was trying to get some fasteners to repair some piece of metric restaurant equipment, and wasn't aware how backwards the US is on metric standardization. The US needs to go hard metric. That means metric fasteners and components. The rest of the world does not have inch tools. This hurts exports. The 95% of the population that can't use any tool beyond a screwdriver can still talk of inches and miles, but physical stuff needs to go metric. Autos, aircraft, and DoD switched decades ago. It's mainly building components that are still inch.

TOGoS 8y ago

In the US it probably makes more sense to go with an inch-based standard, since it's easier to find materials in those sizes. I've been making up my own 'standard' for rack-mount electronics with an eye towards making it work nicely with as many other defacto standards as possible (19" racks, standard lumber sizes, pegboard, unistrut, erector sets): http://www.nuke24.net/docs/2018/TOGRack.html http://www.nuke24.net/docs/2018/TOGRack.html

Qwertie 8y ago
You can just buy the closest match and cut off a bit of the end. In the end it's much better for everyone to standardize on the superior units
- TOGoS 8y ago
  Indeed. Which is why I standardized on inches, which match the hardware at Home Depot and whose rulers make it easy to divide by powers of 2. :P
  - TOGoS 8y ago
    Aw shucks. Downvoted for disagreeing with the HN groupthink.
    - TOGoS 8y ago
      First rule of HN groupthink is don't acknowledge HN groupthink. Just downvote anyone who's different.

Animats 8y ago

This is the curse of Home Depot, which doesn't stock much, if any, metric. I was recently in a Home Depot where an Asian woman was trying to get some fasteners to repair some piece of metric restaurant equipment, and wasn't aware how backwards the US is on metric standardization. The US needs to go hard metric. That means metric fasteners and components. The rest of the world does not have inch tools. This hurts exports. The 95% of the population that can't use any tool beyond a screwdriver can still talk of inches and miles, but physical stuff needs to go metric. Autos, aircraft, and DoD switched decades ago. It's mainly building components that are still inch.